Everything they didn't explain at in-processing

Score your fitness test for any branch — Army AFT, Navy PRT, Air Force PFA, Marines PFT, Coast Guard.

Pass the AFT, PRT, PFA, PFT run. Zone 2 base + 80/20 polarized programming, 12/6/4-week plans, variants for shift workers and dual-mil parents.

What actually happens when you fail the AFT or the tape — flag, counseling cascade, bar to reenlistment, Chapter 13/18 separation. Your rights at every stage.

Pass the 3RM deadlift. Hex-bar mechanics, novice linear progression, 12/6/4-week strength plans, no-gym alternatives for barracks and deployed soldiers.

Hold the line. Anti-extension training, the postural failure modes, breathing under hold, progressive duration builds for soldiers stuck at 60 seconds.

Why HRPs are harder than they look — the stretch-shortening cycle break, greasing-the-groove protocol, 12/6/4-week rep-building plans.

The most demanding AFT event, decoded shuttle-by-shuttle. Anaerobic capacity programming, sled work, grip endurance, and the pacing strategy that beats the lactate wall.

Zero to one to ten — the strict pull-up, honestly. USMC PFT, AF/SF optional event, Ranger/SF/BUD/S pipeline. Eccentric overload, greasing the groove, female-specific programming.

Pass the tape without wrecking yourself. The dangerous methods named (saunas, diuretics, water cuts) and what actually works — sustained deficit, protein protection, real peak-week protocols.

The tape test is gone. The 2026 Army standard is one number: waist-at-navel ÷ height, under 0.55. Interactive WHtR calculator, how it's measured, why the old AFT-score exemption was rescinded, the 180-day no-separation grace, and how to actually pass it.

Milestone-based return to running after delivery. Profile window by branch, pelvic floor reawakening, the 6/12/20/32-week framework, ACOG-aligned, doctrine-aware.

The 90-day DEP plan your recruiter didn't hand you. Walk-run base, push-up build, heat acclimatization, and arriving rested. Ship in shape; don't ship sedentary.

The masters-athlete framework for senior NCOs and prior-service officers. What actually changes after 35 — and the training that respects it. Strength as keystone, recovery as skill.

For wounded warriors, amputees, and service members on permanent profiles. Real training, not pity training. Alt-event pathways, adaptive programming, the documented programs that exist.

Army Special Forces Assessment & Selection — ruck capacity, STAR course land nav, the gray-man strategy, and the 12/6-month macro plans that actually produce select-decisions.

75th Ranger Regiment Assessment & Selection — the 12-mile foot march, sustained PT volume, sleep-deprivation tolerance, peer evaluations. RASP 1 and RASP 2 covered.

Navy SEAL pipeline — the PST baseline, combat sidestroke foundation, cold water and Hell Week reality, pool competency. Cuts through SEAL mythology to the actual training.

Marine Raider Assessment & Selection — the high First Class PFT/CFT floor, swim in cammies, ruck progression, Phase 1 psychological screening + Phase 2 physical reality.

Air Force Pararescue — the longest US SOF pipeline (~2 years). PAST standards, swim foundation, dive school prep, the paramedic medical layer, multi-stage attrition profile.

For PT NCOs and MFTs who want to program well, not just check the block. The 80/20 framework, pace-graded runs, programming for the AFT events, the 6-month cultural reset.

The history and critique of the US military fitness test. APFT → ACFT → AFT, the science vs. politics, the equity debate, what other militaries do, and what it all means for the soldier.

Splits and training paces for any military run event. AFT 2-mile, PRT/PFA 1.5-mile, USMC PFT 3-mile. Easy/Threshold/Interval paces derived from goal time.

How much can you actually improve in X weeks? Honest predictions — conservative, realistic, optimistic — based on baseline and adherence. Not the inspirational answer.

Calorie and macro targets with military-specific activity contexts (garrison, BCT, field, deployment). Mifflin-St. Jeor BMR + ISSN-aligned protein targets.

2026 base pay by rank and years of service — every grade, every step.

Housing allowance by ZIP code, rank, and dependency status.

The 22-page DoD primer in plain English. Rate protection, anchor points, the 5% out-of-pocket, what gets misunderstood.

The OCONUS housing allowance — reimbursement-based, three components (rent + UTRMA + MIHA), updated twice a month. Not BAH.

The taxable high-cost-area allowance you didn’t know you had. 107% threshold (down from 108% in 2024). LPS + RPS methodology. Not BAH.

Combined rating calculator with compensation amounts by dependent status.

Monthly housing, tuition, and stipend — what you actually get.

Days to separation, with DEROS, terminal leave, and block leave options.

AR 600-8-19 / DA PAM 600-25 — weapons qual, ACFT, awards, badges, schools, civilian education, COOL certs, TIS/TIG. Mobile-first because HRC's tool is unusable on phones. Plus the link to monthly HRC cutoff scores by MOS.

DD Form 4 clause by clause — the 8-year obligation hiding in paragraph 8, the "anything else anyone promised me is not valid" line, where the real guarantees live (the annexes), stop-loss authority, and bonus recoupment. Read this before you sign anything.

Enter your scores and see every job you qualify for across all 5 branches.

1,000 original practice questions across 10 CAT-ASVAB sections — diagnostic study plan, AI/SI split, diagram-backed AO, AFQT drills, topic breakdown, mock test mode, keyboard shortcuts. Free.

WK and PC count double in your AFQT. Enter your scores and see which subtests give the best return on study time.

Should you retake? Know the score replacement rule, confirmation test threshold, and eligibility before you schedule.

Run the math on which concurrent receipt program pays more after taxes.

Monthly cost, spouse annuity, breakeven years, and how the SBP-DIC rule change affects the math.

What are your chances of passing a security clearance investigation? Assess your SF-86 risk factors.

Generate NCOER, OER, EPR, and FITREP bullet points that actually stand out.

Convert MOS codes and military jargon into civilian-readable resume language.

25 honest questions across environment, family, risk and culture — get a ranked match across Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Space Force.

22 yes/no questions, zero PII captured, runs entirely in your browser. Output: risk tier (LOW/MEDIUM/HIGH/CUW match) + cited DoDI 6130.03 paragraphs + the documentation packet to gather before MEPS. Surfaces what would have flagged before you spend a MEPS slot.

What the services are actually pushing right now — aggregated from public DoD signals (MILPER messages, NAVADMINs, GAO reports, force-growth announcements). Brings inventory pressure points into view that previously only recruiters could see.

USAREC Manuals 3-0 + 3-31, USAREC Regulation 601-208, COMDTINST 1100.2I, DAFMAN 36-2032, Marine MCO 1130.x series. Plain-English section translations + recruiter-action implications + citation-confidence flags. Searchable by keyword + filterable by service.

Can I join with ADHD, past weed, asthma, depression, sleep apnea? Structured lookup of 26 disqualifying conditions cited verbatim from DoDI 6130.03 Vol 1 — the actual medical-standards regulation. Branch-specific waiver notes, USMEPCOM pre-screen flags, recruiter myth-vs-truth on every card.

Find out which MHPI company runs family housing at your installation. 70+ bases verified across Balfour Beatty (DOJ fraud plea 2021), Corvias (Fort Liberty class action), Liberty (formerly Lincoln, mold lawsuits), Hunt, and Lendlease — with each operator's full scandal record + the Tenant Bill of Rights escalation ladder.

The mold, the Balfour Beatty $65.8M fraud conviction, the BAH-to-rent gap, your NDAA rights, and the 10-step escalation ladder when the housing company doesn't fix it. What you need to know before you sign.

The real PPM math: GCC (Government Constructed Cost) estimator, 95% incentive, reimbursable expenses with tax implications, net profit calculation. Plus the documentation tracker that gets your closeout approved on first submission — weight tickets, DD 2278, DPS portal, what TMO rejects and why.

Branch-by-branch current tattoo and grooming standards — Army (AR 670-1 + Directive 2022-09), Navy (NAVADMIN 064/22), Marines (MCO 1020.34H), AF/SF (DAFI 36-2903), Coast Guard (ALCOAST 086/24). Zone-by-zone prohibited / conditional / permitted, content restrictions, waiver paths, plus hair / beard / sideburn standards for each branch.

The Defense Travel System decoded. Annotated screen mockups showing exactly what you're looking at. Authorization and voucher walkthroughs, the SIGNED vs SAVED trap, the hotel folio problem, missing receipt statements, constructive cost justification, 26 error codes (status messages + pre-audit flags + SABRS rejects), and the escalation ladder when DTS won't pay you.

100+ questions to ask a US military recruiter — and what an honest, sourced answer to each actually looks like. Pay, bonuses, MOS guarantees, GI Bill, deployment, special ops.

You signed Delayed Entry Program paperwork and your recruiter says you can't back out. They're lying. Actual separation rules, the 7-step process, free GI Rights Hotline number. No jail, no dishonorable discharge, no future-enlistment block. Mission-critical pre-MEPS protection.

The honest, branch-agnostic 10-step enlistment guide. Every branch, MEPS, ASVAB, contracts, officer paths, basic training reality.

What GT, CL, EL and the Army's 10 composites actually are — the scores that pick your job, separate from the AFQT that gets you in the door.

The AFQT percentile decides whether you can enlist — each branch sets a minimum, and it's higher with a GED than a diploma. How it's built, the floors, and where to check the current number.

Compare PT tests across 100+ militaries — every US branch and allied nation — side by side, then see them ranked: hardest, most combat-relevant, and best for long-term health. Every published standard sourced.

DD 1351-2, DLA, TLE, dependent travel, PPM attachments, supplemental vouchers, returned packets, missing payment, and DFAS travel-pay escalation.

Parents, students age 21/22, wards, incapacitated children, support tests, redeterminations, BAH risk, ID cards, and DFAS packet proof.

Education goals, TA requests, school course data, grade posting, credentialing assistance, denials, payment gaps, and recoupment.

LES, W-2s, tax withholding, direct deposit, allotments, address changes, account lockouts, and the monthly audit habits that catch pay problems early.

Is your deployment location currently CZTE-designated? Searchable list of every active Combat Zone (EO 12744/13119/13239), Qualified Hazardous Duty Area (Sinai per NDAA), and Direct Support area (Jordan, Lebanon, Yemen, Djibouti, Niger, etc.). Effective dates, authorizing instrument, IRS Pub 3 + DFAS sources cited on every entry.

Every line on your Leave and Earnings Statement explained in plain English.

How much leave you're about to forfeit. The standing 60-day use-or-lose cap plus the one-time 90-day COVID Special Leave Accrual cliff on Sep 30, 2026 — days at risk, dollar value, and how to keep it.

Jump pay, dive pay, submarine pay, FLPP — every special and incentive pay decoded.

FY26 math: up to $50K/yr, $600K max contract value, short-contract premium for fighter/bomber/U-2. The 10-year ADSC cliff is the only number that matters.

CZTE, HFP, FSA, SDAP — every dollar of extra pay when you deploy.

DPS, PPM, DLA, TLE — every dollar you're owed on a permanent change of station.

Blended Retirement System, contribution matching, and how to actually build wealth in uniform.

The Blended Retirement System explained — continuation pay, TSP matching, and the math behind opting in.

The 120-day conversion trap, beneficiary mistakes, and what happens to your coverage when you separate.

SAH grants, caregiver stipends, Aid & Attendance, CHAMPVA, DEA — high-value programs with low utilization.

The car lots, payday lenders, and rent-to-own traps near every base — and how to fight back.

Your GTC is accruing interest while finance processes your voucher. The IBA mechanics, split disbursement, hidden travel benefits, and FCRA dispute rights.

Enter your TDY end date and voucher submission date — see exactly when your GTC bill arrives, when interest starts, when the card suspends, and when Citibank reports to credit bureaus. Know before you get blindsided.

Finance reduced your travel voucher. Here's how to fight it. Step-by-step reclama letter builder with the exact JTR and DoDFMR citations that support your appeal — lodging, airfare, M&IE, receipts, and more.

Lodging ceilings, M&IE math, the 75% travel-day rule, proportional meal deductions, and the audit traps that get vouchers clawed back.

FSA-R, FSA-S, FSA-T — the $250/month most people forget to claim. Eligibility, the 30-day rule, dual-mil mechanics, and how to claw back missed months.

What to do with your first paycheck — TSP, savings, predatory lender defense for E1–E4.

Hidden costs of being an officer, BRS math, PSLF for student loans, and what nobody tells you at OCS.

Each branch's TA program, caps, approved schools, and how to stack TA with GI Bill.

What the Army, Air Force, and Navy ROTC scholarships actually pay — stipend after tax, tuition cap reality, SMP drill pay stacking, and the 4-year total. Not the recruiter pitch.

Current Selective Retention Bonus program by branch (Army MILPER 26-059, Navy NAVADMIN, Marine MARADMIN, AF AFPC). Top-tier MOSs that consistently get the largest bonuses. Quality Tier Incentive Program explained.

DLA + per diem + MALT + TLE + PPM/DITY math by paygrade. Every entitlement the JTR allows, with the honest take on which ones TMO will quietly forget to mention. PPM can net $5K–$15K if you know the rules.

The Savings Deposit Program pays a guaranteed 10% a year on up to $10,000 while you're deployed. Estimate your interest, ending balance, and why front-loading the deposit wins.

Full = 10% × years of service × 12 × monthly basic pay; half = 50%. With the 22% tax bite and the VA recoupment nobody puts on the brief.

Take terminal leave or sell it back? Full pay plus tax-free BAH and BAS vs basic-pay-only sell-back capped at 60 days lifetime. See the dollar delta.

How DLPT/OPI scores in ILR levels map to a monthly bonus, what drives the amount, the DoDI 1340.27 cap, and where to find the current DFAS pay table.

BRS match math (5% gets you 5%), Roth vs Traditional decision tree, fund-by-fund honest take, combat-zone strategy. No influencer crypto pitch. The 5 rules for service members the gov already published but nobody reads.

How each state taxes military active-duty pay and retirement in 2026. 9 no-tax states + 27 full retirement exemptions + 11 partial. State-by-state pages with official DoR links. California finally backed off in 2024.

Answer 8 quick questions and see every federal and state benefit you may qualify for — disability, GI Bill, VA home loan, pension, CHAMPVA, DIC, state property-tax breaks, and more. Each one linked to its official .gov source. Free, no account, nothing saved.

Veteran Readiness and Employment — the VA program that's better than the GI Bill for many disabled veterans (no tuition cap, full housing for online students, equipment and tools covered) and that almost nobody applies for. The 5 employment tracks decoded, application via VA Form 28-1900, common VRC denials with counters, side-by-side comparison vs Post-9/11 Chapter 33.

Fix the record that controls TRICARE and dependent access. DEERS checks, milConnect, ID Card Office Online, family member updates, address changes, and eligibility escalation.

Messages, appointments, records, lab results, prescription refills, DS Logon problems, and the real support ladder for the new military health portal.

Regional portals, referrals, prior authorizations, PCM changes, claims, urgent care, eligibility mismatches, and contractor escalation.

Secure messages, medication refills, health records, appointments, sign-in recovery, and the My HealtheVet move into VA.gov.

Claim status, evidence uploads, C&P exam problems, missing decision letters, document requests, and appeal-lane prep.

Step-by-step: how to change your TRICARE Prime PCM via your regional contractor (Humana East, TriWest West as of Jan 2025, International SOS overseas), how to actually get a specialist referral approved through the MTF Right of First Refusal, and the escalation ladder when the system stalls. Plus the mental-health self-referral rule everyone should know.

Burn pit & toxic exposure benefits: check presumptive conditions and estimate your rating.

Per-condition 38 CFR Part 4 rating math for the 8 most-claimed conditions: tinnitus, sleep apnea, PTSD, lumbar spine, knees, hearing loss, migraines, GERD. Evidence requirements + predator-trap callouts.

DC 8045 10-facet cognitive impairment system + interactive estimator. The "highest facet wins" rule decoded. Plus the emotional/behavioral and physical residuals that rate separately.

VA disability claim for Military Sexual Trauma — the relaxed evidence standard, "marker" evidence the VA accepts, regional office MST outreach coordinators. Free VA treatment regardless of claim status.

The 30% rating threshold + 20-year alternative. MEB/PEB outcomes, TDRL vs PDRL, dual-rating math (military + VA), and what the difference means over a 30-year retirement.

Under 30% is a severance check; 30% is a lifetime medical retirement. The one-time reconsideration at your informal PEB is the in-process shot to cross the line — and after you separate, a VA appeal can never move the DoD percentage. How the lever works and how to prep.

Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. 70%+ rating threshold + 6-month personal-care requirement, Level 1 vs Level 2 stipend math (OPM GS-4 × locality × multiplier). Plus the free Caregiver Support Coordinator at every VAMC.

Prime, Select, Reserve Select, CHAMPVA — every plan and how to use it.

TAMP, CHCBP, and how to bridge coverage until VA care kicks in.

Coverage for contraception, fertility treatments, and reproductive health under TRICARE.

Rating math, combined ratings table, C&P exams, and how to appeal.

Supplemental Claim, Higher Level Review, and BVA — with realistic timelines.

Realistic timelines for each stage of the VA claims process and what actually happens.

The 5, 10, and 20-year protection rules — know them before your next C&P exam.

No down payment, no PMI, competitive rates — the most powerful mortgage benefit in America.

Pattern data from 2.5M FY2024 claims: 64.2% approval rate, top conditions, why 36% get denied, PACT Act impact (74.4% approval rate), combined rating math, and what to document while still serving.

DAV, VFW, American Legion — which VSO gets results and when to hire an attorney instead.

Step-by-step from referral to PEB decision — and your rights at every stage.

What actually happens at a C&P exam, what to say, and what to do when it goes wrong.

Get the medical opinion letter that connects your condition to service — what your doctor needs to write.

Complete guide for non-combat veterans — stressor evidence, buddy letters, and C&P prep.

PDES, MEB, PEB, CRDP & CRSC — what happens when you're medically retired.

LOD determination process — when you need one, how to fight a negative finding.

Permanent vs. temporary profiles, PULHES system, and your career rights on profile.

What SF-86 Question 21 actually asks — treatment rarely costs you a clearance.

Do you qualify for Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability — paid at the 100% VA rate? One disability at 60%, or a combined 70% with one at 40%, when you can't hold substantially gainful work. Plus the extraschedular path.

Enter your separation date — find out if you're in the 180-to-90-day VA pre-discharge filing window, the fastest path to a rating the day you get out.

6% interest cap, penalty-free lease breaks, foreclosure protection — rights most never use.

SCRA + MSRRA + the 2022 Auto/Ed Improvement Act. SLR, DD Form 2058, the 9 no-tax states, and the math most service members never run.

Your right to refuse, accept vs. demand court-martial, and when to fight it.

Your state legalized it. The UCMJ didn't. Article 112a applies regardless of state law, on- or off-duty — plus the real 2026 accession-waiver policy change, branch by branch.

What fraternization regulations actually prohibit vs. what commands enforce — branch-by-branch (AR 600-20, DAFI 36-2909, MCO 5370.10D, MILPERSMAN). Interactive exposure checker, dual-military specifics, the coercion problem, and your rights under investigation.

SCRA lets you break a vehicle lease on PCS. State lemon laws still apply.

Rumor vs. regulation — your actual rights under UCMJ, AR 600-20, and DoD policy.

SCRA, UCCJEA, Family Care Plans — your rights when custody and deployment collide.

USFSPA retirement division, the 10/10 rule, SBP deadlines, TRICARE after divorce, and BAH impact.

OTH or bad paper? You may qualify for an upgrade — full DRB and BCMR process.

How to file a military record correction petition with ABCMR, BCNR, or AFBCMR.

What happens to your life, benefits, and record after a chapter action.

Article 138, IG, Congressional Inquiry, 10 USC 1034 — every protected complaint channel.

A family crisis has a real, regulation-cited reassignment path in every branch. Branch-specific wizard checks your reason against what actually gets denied and drafts your request — DA Form 3739, not the 4187 everyone searches for.

Restricted vs. unrestricted reporting, your rights, and what actually happens after you report.

Court-martial data by race, gender, rank, and branch — what the numbers reveal.

Wills, POA, and deployment legal prep — the documents every service member needs.

Crowdsourced admin wait times at installations — how long things actually take.

Stack your service obligations — commissioning source, BRADSO, bonuses, flight training — and see your real separation-eligible date. The obligation most officers don't calculate until it's too late.

How long the military has to charge you under Article 43 — 5 years for most offenses, 2 for an Article 15, none for murder or sexual assault. Check by offense type and date.

General or special POA? Pick your PCS or deployment task and get the right power of attorney — what it authorizes, how to prep, and where to get it free.

Facing an admin separation? Find out if you can demand a board — a real hearing with counsel, witnesses, and cross-examination — instead of a paper discharge. Per DoDI 1332.14.

The three tiers of nonjudicial punishment — Summarized, Company-grade, Field-grade — what each can impose, and your rights to a lawyer, to refuse, and to appeal.

Monthly SGT/SSG cutoff scores by MOS, extracted from the actual signed HQDA memos — with month-over-month trends, STAR MOS flags, and a source citation on every number. The promote-fast vs. stalled picture HRC publishes but never charts.

How hard it actually is to get promoted in your job, across every branch — the public cutoffs and multi-year trends where the services publish them (Army, Coast Guard), and an honest map of where the Marines and Air Force hide theirs behind a CAC login.

Servicewide Exam advancement cutoffs by rating, E5–E9, transcribed from the official ALCGENL messages — nine exam terms with the per-rating trend. See which ratings tightened, which opened up, and which advanced everyone eligible.

Every door into US SOF in one map — Green Beret, Ranger, SEAL, SWCC, Pararescue, Combat Control, Marine Raider, Recon. Which you can contract for off the street vs. which require serving first, the selection, the pipeline, and the MOS it lands in. Filter by branch, entry lane, or mission focus.

Yellow Ribbon math + decision framework + curated participating-school list. Eligibility (100% Post-9/11 tier required), how the school + VA dollar-match works, why some schools commit "full unmet tuition" while others cap, and a list of notable participants across categories: out-of-state public flagships, private elites, online programs, top professional / graduate schools.

Officer without OCS. The 8 specialty direct-commission paths: JAG (lawyers), Chaplain (clergy), Medical Corps (MDs/DOs), Dental Corps, Nurse Corps, Medical Service Corps (PAs / pharmacists / psychologists), Cyber Direct Commission (industry talent into Cyber Mission Force), Veterinary Corps (Army only). Per-branch entry rank, ADSO commitment, accession bonus, training pipeline, and the watch-outs nobody briefs you on.

Academy acceptance rates (~9–12%), ROTC scholarship reality (20–30% of applicants), the warrant officer path most SAIs skip, enlisted-first strategy, and the commissioning source comparison table your JROTC program won't hand out.

Estimate your branch selection odds under Talent-Based Branching. Enter your OML inputs — GPA, AFT score, Advanced Camp tier, commander ranking — and see which branches are competitive at your score band.

The CST26 rename nobody explained: ACCES is now the Cadet Ranking Tool (CRT). The four graduation gates, how points add up, whether 50 is hard to hit (it isn't), and the two pass/fail gates that actually wash cadets out.

The ~4-week on-ramp at Fort Knox for lateral-entry and 2-year cadets. Who actually goes, the five training phases, and the part the slide buries — attending it carries no service obligation.

The official scoring formula, PCSM explained, Field Training impact, and a competitiveness estimator for pilot, CSO, ABM, and RPA slots. What afrotc.info has, plus the transparency gaps.

Every follow-on commissioning school compared: Infantry BOLC, TBS, SWOS, UPT, Cyber BOLC. Duration, housing (barracks vs. BAH), the gray period between commissioning and report date, and what training actually looks like.

Every nomination source — Senate, House, Vice Presidential, Presidential, JROTC, ROTC, Service-Connected. Slot counts, deadlines, panel formats, and the timeline from junior year through R-Day. What paid consultants charge $5K+ to explain.

Free Candidate Fitness Assessment competitiveness check. Per-event bands (passing / competitive / excellent / exceptional) for male and female standards. Includes a 12-week prep regimen keyed to your weakest event. No upsell.

Primary-source explainer on the kneeling basketball throw in the Candidate Fitness Assessment. What the academies actually say it measures, the protocol verified from the West Point CFA Instructions PDF, and the combat-task lineage that runs through the Army Combat Fitness Test. Citable for press.

West Point Whole Candidate Score estimator. 60% academic, 30% Community Leader, 10% physical — see your weighted distribution and which area carries the most upside to improve. Free, no fake percentiles.

The questions nomination panels actually ask. What the panel is testing, the weak answer they hear all the time, how to frame strong answers, and the red flags that tank a file. Sourced from public panel guidance.

Every interstate licensure compact (Nurse, Counseling, Teacher, PT, EMS, Psychology, SLP, OT) + VAEIA 2022 federal portability backstop. State-by-state lookup. Free, sourced from official compact commissions.

The six real national programs that help military spouses find work — SpouseWorks, MSEP, Hiring Our Heroes fellowship, Military Spouse Jobs, Blue Star Careers, ACP mentoring — plus the EO 13832 federal hiring preference and free entrepreneurship training. No affiliate links.

The up-or-out clock, decoded — how HYT (RCP in the Army) caps your years of service by rank, why every branch changed its numbers in 2024–25, and where to find your branch's current official table.

Pre-board file audit checklist for every service. Army (ORB/AMHRR), Navy (ESR/OSR/BOL), USMC (MOL/OMPF), AF (vRED/SURF/myFSS), USCG (PSR/Direct Access). What "$500 career coaches" do for you, in one checklist.

AR 670-1 + DA Pam 670-1 photo standards. Which Army boards still require it (most LTC/COL boards eliminated it 2018). Composition basics, what goes wrong at the studio, where to take it.

How to switch branches without resetting your career. DODI 1300.04 IST process (rare, strict) vs prior-service enlistment (common, flexible). MOS conversion, rank preservation, realistic approval odds.

Army MACP + equivalent programs in every service (Navy co-location, AF Join Spouse, Marines, USCG, USSF). 50-mile/1-hour guideline, enrollment process, cross-service couple reality.

How the Air Force assignment system actually picks pilots. T-1 vs T-38, FAIP vs ops, and the dream-sheet game theory your IPs hint at but never spell out. Built from instructor lore + AFPC public guidance.

Air Force E-5/E-6 promotion runs on points, not boards. SKT + PFE + TIS/TIG + decorations + EPR scores — the full WAPS formula (AFI 36-2502 Table 2.2) with plain-English breakdown of where to move the needle before your next promotion cycle.

Early AF separation to Guard/Reserve, decoded. The 2:1 obligation conversion math — every month of remaining active duty becomes 2 months of Guard/Reserve time. Eligibility checker + commitment calculator, sourced from AFI 36-3205. Know what you owe before you sign anything.

EQUAL cycle, dream sheets, and vulnerable mover math — decoded. The four-priority stack AFPC actually uses (mission first, you fourth), when to submit preferences, how TOS converts to vulnerable status, and what career field managers actually control. DAFI 36-2110 sourced.

The Air Force skill level pipeline, in plain English. What each level requires, typical timelines from tech school to journeyman to craftsman, how CDCs gate your promotion, and what the CFETP actually is. With a skill level progress estimator by career field group.

Recruiter duty, Drill Sergeant, ROTC cadre — vs. what the divorce rate and promotion math show.

OCS, Green to Gold, Warrant Officer, ROTC — every path to commissioned officer.

How to reclass, what's available, and what makes a packet competitive.

Army ASI/SQI, Navy NEC, Air Force AFSC prefixes & SDIs, Marine AMOS, Coast Guard specialty quals — every branch's system for recording skills beyond your primary job, with full requirements.

How to fund your certification exams through the DoD COOL program — Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and Space Force. Step-by-step for every branch.

SF-86 walkthrough, all 13 adjudicative guidelines, and how to appeal an SOR.

Failed tape? Your rights, the process, how to dispute, and what the flag does to your career.

WLC, ALC, SLC, SGM-A — what's required for each promotion and what happens if you miss it.

What your NCOER, OER, EPR, or FITREP actually says about your promotion chances.

Navy E-4 through E-7 advancement runs on your Final Multiple Score — not a board. NWAE exam + PMA + PNA points + awards + SIPG, all weighted. Full formula from BUPERSINST 1430.16H, with honest note on what you can still move before the next cycle closes.

Official Navy sea/shore tour tables, searchable. 76 ratings across surface warfare, aviation, submarine, nuclear, and special warfare — with sample 20-year career timelines and the honest note on where detailer PRD reality diverges from the table. Sourced from NAVADMIN 190/16 + 274/19.

How Navy assignments actually happen — BUPERS structure, MyNavy Assign, when to contact your detailer (not before 18 months out), preference card timing, and what "needs of the Navy" actually means for your career. With an orders timeline calculator by community.

ESWS is required for E-5→E-6 advancement in surface warfare. Complete guide to PQS structure, Common Core sections, oral board prep, and a progress tracker with localStorage persistence. EAWS and EXW covered too. Sourced from OPNAVINST 1412.6J/7/9B.

Technical expert track — requirements, WO selection, flight school, and career reality.

Injury rates, hearing loss, toxic exposure, and long-term health risks by military job.

How exposed is your closest civilian occupation to AI displacement? Real published research (Eloundou et al. 2023, Frey & Osborne 2013) joined to our MOS-to-civilian-job crosswalk — with an honest count of what we can't responsibly score yet.

Anonymous command climate ratings — what it's really like serving in specific units.

The decision you'll face 2-3 times and nobody helps with honestly. 13 questions across money, promotion trajectory, retirement math, walk-away benefits, life, and the exit ramps — per-dimension verdicts, not a sales pitch in either direction.

The portal survival hub for broken military and veteran systems: DTS, GTC, IPPS-A, DPS, DEERS, MHS GENESIS, myPay, TSP, VA claims, SmartVoucher, ArmyIgnitED, and more.

Absence requests, PARs, personnel records review, BAH recertification, approval queues, routing failures, role problems, and the escalation path when Army HR admin gets stuck.

The Army training system decoded. The account-creation trap (Legacy UID vs enterprise email — half of all help desk tickets), entering weapon quals, ACFT and height/weight, fixing missing or misfiled records, roster and role problems, and school/board proof.

Installation recreation access decoded. Finding your base's site, buying the right permit, the mandatory day-of-hunt check-in and check-out (a permit is not enough), how fishing rules differ, area closures, and access suspensions.

The official directory has 3,000+ providers and a UX from 2007. We curate the ones actually worth your last 180 days — by industry, duration, remote, competitive difficulty. Honest conversion-rate notes.

Get out of the Delayed Entry Program before you ship — no penalty, no DD-214, no RE code. The signed-letter discharge walkthrough, plus how to escalate if a recruiter stonewalls you.

Veterans' preference, VRA, VEOA, the federal resume format — the USAJOBS playbook.

Every block on your discharge document — what it means for VA claims and employment.

Three name changes, nine posts. The full whiplash: 2023 Naming Commission renames → 2025 Trump reversions. All nine installations are back to original names with new honorees. Plus the Department of War.

Navy ship renames: USS Chancellorsville → USS Robert Smalls, USNS Maury → USNS Marie Tharp (2023, not reverted). USNS Harvey Milk → USNS Oscar V. Peterson (2025 reversion). Hull numbers stay; only the name changed.

Chapter 30, 33, 35, 1606 — every GI Bill program and which one is right for you.

Transfer your Post-9/11 GI Bill to a spouse or child — while you're still serving.

Spend your last 180 days at a civilian company — fully paid by the military.

Hardship, CO, ELS, medical, sole survivor — every pathway out before ETS.

Ordinary, terminal, convalescent, paternity, PTDY — every type of leave you rate.

The military's free flight system decoded — 6 priority categories, the 72-hour schedule window, major terminals, and the terminal leave trick that gets you to Europe for free.

Find your Space-A priority category in 10 seconds — active duty, retiree, separating member, dependent, or 100% P&T veteran.

Historical route frequency scraped from AMC terminal PDFs — see which routes actually fly and how often before you show up to the terminal.

The identity crisis nobody names — transitioning from service member to civilian.

What to expect, how to prepare, and what the recruiter left out.

Benefits, healthcare, and realities specific to women who served.

The complete branch-by-branch guide to addressing every US military rank — spoken and written. Covers the NCO "sir" rule, the Navy Captain confusion, warrant officers, flag officers, written salutations, and the 7 most common civilian mistakes.

Every US military rank abbreviation across all 6 branches — from PVT to SMA, ENS to ADM. Includes the Captain problem, signature block decoder, warrant officer cross-reference, and NATO STANAG 2116 codes.

Account access, current vs future allocations, contribution-change caveats, beneficiaries, loans, withdrawals, and Roth in-plan conversion watch-outs.

Side-by-side veteran benefits across all 50 states + DC + Puerto Rico + Guam + USVI. Military retirement income tax, property tax exemption for disabled vets, state veteran homes, hiring preference, and unique state benefits (Texas Hazlewood Act, CalVet Fee Waiver, Illinois Veterans Grant, Mass Chapter 115, NY Blind Annuity). Cited to each state's DVA.

Final Pay, High-3, and BRS side-by-side. Pension, TSP, continuation pay, SBP cost, lifetime payout, and state tax treatment.

SBP elections, Medicare Part B trap, VA timing, and decisions that cost thousands for decades.

Free JAG wills, five deployment docs, SGLI beneficiary mistakes, and the deployment checklist.

DIC, Death Gratuity, SGLI, SBP, CHAMPVA, DEA — every benefit for surviving families.

The honest guide to the Survivor Benefit Plan — costs, annuity, and the DIC offset.

Every Army Reserve, ARNG, AFR, ANG, Navy Reserve, Marine Forces Reserve, and Coast Guard Reserve unit in one search box. Filter by ZIP and radius, sourced from the DoD Sustainment MIRTA dataset (Sept 2025) plus USAR HQIIS — 1,100+ units indexed, verification status on every card.

IDT, AT, ADOS, Title 10, AGR, Title 32, or State Active Duty — what each status means for your pay, TRICARE, SCRA, VA healthcare, and retirement points.

Enter your career points, retirement system, and High-3 pay. Get your estimated monthly pension, retirement age (with deployment reductions), and a full formula breakdown.

Full-time Guard and Reserve positions with active duty pay. Most have never heard of them.

Every MUTA code decoded — drill pay math, retirement points per UTA, and duty status.

How Reserve and Guard retirement points work, qualifying years, and pension math.

Your civilian employment protections when called to active duty or training.

10 USC § 12686 — the rule that protects 20-year active retirement once you cross 18 years of TAFMS, and the waiver paperwork units quietly slip into orders. Branch-by-branch reg crosswalk, TAFMS math, and what to do if you're near the line.

20 years of service, the 20-year letter, and then 15-20 years of waiting. The Reserve and Guard period between drilling-retirement and age-60 retired pay, decoded — § 12731(f) age reductions (floor 50), the $645.90/mo TRR premium reality, commissary access under § 1063, the DD 108 timing window, and the Medicare/TFL handoff at 65.

The Individual Ready Reserve, decoded. The 8-year MSO math, what screening musters actually demand, the verified 2001–2023 recall record (29,970 Army IRR orders over OIF/OEF; up to 450 IRR authorized under EO 14104 for Operation Atlantic Resolve), Stop-Loss vs. § 12302 vs. § 12304, and the eight-step playbook if orders arrive in your mailbox.

Everything recruiters won't tell you about part-time military benefits and entitlements.

Every state's National Guard tuition program decoded — verified coverage, eligible schools, stacking with FedTA and Post-9/11 GI Bill, and the traps. Army + Air National Guard only.

How each state taxes IDT (drill) pay, AT pay, ADOS/Title 10 pay, and National Guard State Active Duty pay. Plus the SCRA state-of-legal-residence rule, MSRRA for spouses, and DD Form 2058. Verified state-by-state.

Answer 7 questions about your activation. Get a personalized, prioritized checklist covering SCRA rights, USERRA protections, TSP, SGLI, and admin actions.

Run the apples-to-apples math: TRICARE Reserve Select premium + deductible + catastrophic cap vs. your civilian employer plan. Plus the 30-day Title 10 activation cliff and the 60-day TAMP re-enrollment window.

Hurt at drill, AT, or ADOS? The Line of Duty determination unlocks medical care and Incapacitation Pay (37 USC § 204(g)/(h)). The 72-hour playbook, DA 2173, the 6-month cap, civilian income documentation, and the traps that cost Reservists months of pay.

How the Medical and Physical Evaluation Board process actually works for Reserve and Guard members. Duty status at injury, the LOD prerequisite, MEDCON / Med Hold orders, the RC Chapter 61 math (10 USC §§ 1201/1203/1204/1206), and the traps that keep drill-status Soldiers from medical retirement they were entitled to.

Combat-Related Special Compensation for Reserve and Guard retirees. The gray-area trap (20-year letter ≠ retired pay), Chapter 61 sub-20 cap (§ 1413a(b)(3)), the four combat-related categories under 10 USC § 1413a(e), DD Form 2860, branch-by-branch contacts, and CRDP-vs-CRSC selection math.

D-180 to D+180. The 8-phase Reserve and Guard mobilization sequence — alert, orders, Soldier Readiness Processing, mob station training, post-deployment health, the 180-day TAMP healthcare bridge, USERRA reemployment clocks, and the traps that blindside Reservists every cycle.

Why E-6 takes 14 years in the Reserve. ROPMA twice-passed-over-and-out at O-3 and O-4 (10 USC §§ 14505-14506), 28/30-year mandatory removal walls (§ 14507), TIG/TIS/NCOES gates, and vacancy-based promotion math. Branch-by-branch with realistic timelines vs Active.

Selected Reserve incentive bonuses, decoded. SLRP, affiliation, reenlistment, MOS-conversion, and health professions incentives — with statute (37 USC §§ 331/332/335/357, 10 USC § 16301), the recoupment math under 37 USC § 373, current-year MILPER/NAVADMIN/AFRC source labels, and the traps that turn a $20K bonus into a tax bill.

Unpaid drill (BA/UTA), a shorted day of active-duty pay, or a debt the Army is recouping every check? Three problems, three fixes. Diagnose which is which, then climb the escalation ladder — S-1 → finance → DFAS (AskDFAS) → IG → congressional → ABCMR. The 30-day rule that suspends collection, waiver (DD 2789) vs. remission vs. dispute, the 6-year Barring Act window (31 USC § 3702), and verified DFAS contacts.

The Exceptional Family Member Program decoded — what enrollment actually means for your career, orders, and OCONUS chances. Six EFMP categories explained, DD Form 2792/2792-1 process, branch differences (Army EFMP / Navy EFM / AF SNP+FMRC / USMC EFMP / CG SNP), and the myths the smoke pit will tell you that aren't true.

Schedule and manage household goods moves in the Defense Personal Property System. HHG vs PPM, shipment setup, inventory control, claims, access errors, and transportation office escalation.

Framework for evaluating K-12 schools during a PCS when you can't visit before move-in. The 5 school options (DoDEA, off-base district, on-base public, private, homeschool), MIC3 Interstate Compact protections that travel with you across all 50 states, IEP transfer process, and the questions to ask your gaining installation's School Liaison Officer.

$4,000/year for military spouses pursuing education or portable certifications.

Joint-spouse assignments, BAH optimization, Family Care Plan, and the USFSPA divorce trap.

12 weeks non-chargeable parental leave, maternity convalescent leave sequencing, and how each branch actually implements the DoD-wide policy — plus the pending bill trying to fix the evaluation-report gap nobody talks about.

The OCONUS benefit cliff, side by side: Command-Sponsored vs Non-Command-Sponsored. Accompanied vs unaccompanied tour, on-base housing, the no-fee passport, DoDEA school priority, family HHG — what your family gains or loses overseas.

The exact OCONUS PCS packet — no-fee passport + SOFA stamp from a DD 1056, DS-11, and your orders. Who qualifies, who only gets a tourist passport, and the 6–8 week timeline.

What the assignment officer won't tell you. Honest guides to Camp Humphreys, Ramstein, Stuttgart, Grafenwoehr, Vicenza, Aviano, RAF Lakenheath, Okinawa, Camp Lemonnier, and more — housing, SOFA, schools, training tempo.

USFK's mega-base. Modern, isolated, high training tempo. Korean SOFA jurisdiction, KATUSA integration, housing, and what nobody tells you.

USAFE-AFAFRICA HQ. 50,000-person KMC. Space-A hub. Landstuhl Regional Medical Center next door. The most self-contained US community in Europe — and the bubble it creates.

Both combatant commands in one postcard-worthy city. HQ-posting tempo, Baden-Württemberg spouse employment advantage, Black Forest 45 minutes, and what the staff job actually costs.

Europe's premier training ground. 2CR eastern-flank rotations, rural Bavaria, no hospital on post, and the Einbauküche problem.

173rd Airborne — Europe's rapid-response force. Venice 45 min, Dolomites 90 min, Lake Garda 60 min. High deployment tempo vs. best food in the world. That tension is the assignment.

31st Fighter Wing in northeast Italy. The nebbia fog, Italian 4+4 leases, Dolomites 45 min north, and spouse employment under NATO SOFA.

F-35A wing in Suffolk. The most spouse-employment-friendly OCONUS posting for English speakers. Left-hand driving reality.

Indo-Pacific's premier hub. Japan SOFA spouse employment restrictions, typhoon season, III MEF deployment tempo, and the Okinawa effect.

7th Fleet's home port — and the best day-trip hub in the Pacific. Kamakura, Yokohama, Tokyo all within an hour. Train system basics, IC card setup, Dobuita Street honest take, Navy Curry history, SOFA behavior implications, and the last-train timing that catches first-timers every time.

The only permanent US base in Africa. CJTF-HOA. Unaccompanied. Combat zone tax exclusion. 110°F summers. Meaningful mission, finite tour, extraordinary leave geography.

Search any US MOS and see the equivalent role across 20+ allied militaries. Drag to compare. Flip to World→US mode. Citizenship paths included.

French Foreign Legion, British Army, US military as a Green Card holder, ADF, CAF — eligibility by origin country, citizenship timelines, dual citizenship warnings.

The most open foreign military for Americans. No citizenship required. 5-year contract. French citizenship at 3 years. The selection, the pay, the 2e REP, and what the Legion poster doesn't say.

Can your spouse work in Germany, Japan, Korea, Italy, UK, Spain, or Belgium? Country-by-country rules, remote work reality, tax implications.

Criminal jurisdiction, Militärklausel lease trap, spouse employment rules, USAREUR license, VAT relief via VA95, and the German legal system. For anyone PCSing to Ramstein, Stuttgart, or Grafenwoehr.

Okinawa jurisdiction politics, pet import (start 6 months out), 0.03% BAC DUI trap, spouse employment limits, and driving on the left. For US service members assigned to Japan.

Korea exercises SOFA jurisdiction — the Itaewon reality, 0.03% BAC limit, curfew policy, spouse employment complexity, and how to handle Korean police contact. The most assertively enforced major US SOFA.

ZTL camera zones, clausola militare for leases, NATO SOFA jurisdiction, IVA exemptions, Schengen travel rights, and spouse employment. For Vicenza, Aviano, and Sigonella families.

Spouses can work. NHS access. Driving on the left (the first 4 weeks are the danger zone). UK lease break rules. Income tax reality. For RAF Lakenheath, Mildenhall, and Croughton families.

Why US military ranks look the way they do — from medieval chevrons to the Space Force delta. The origin of silver-outranks-gold, the fouled anchor, the Hap Arnold Star, and the oak leaf.

Dining-in and dining-out traditions, mess dress uniform standards for all 6 branches, birthday ball customs, and change-of-command protocol — with what's actually regulation versus what's just widely-practiced tradition.

All 24 MRE menus, a matchmaker, field recipes, and a community tier list.

Crowdsourced internet speed tests from barracks and on-post housing worldwide.